What are the benefits of learning the addition and subtraction facts from Ways That Work?

Children learn the adding and subtracting facts through the sums to 18 and the related subtracting facts by using their brain rather than simply relying on counting methods. Children are given explicit strategies to learn and retain the adding and subtracting facts. The methodology incorporates a conceptual approach to learning the math facts to give students an understanding of putting parts together and taking them apart. Children become empowered when they realize that they can memorize the math facts and no longer need to count to get the answers.

What will my child lose by not taking The Addition and Subtraction Facts 10-18 class?

Your child will not have the opportunity to learn the tools to commit the remainder of the adding and subtracting facts to memory. More likely than not, he/she will go back to counting. When children do not have the tools to master the remaining facts they will be confronted with many math facts which they do not know and once again they will associate failure with math. This failure and disappointment will transfer to other academic and non-academic areas in his/her life. After putting all the work and effort into becoming proficient with The Facts to 9 they will still feel that they are incompetent with math but that is because they did not have the opportunity to complete the program and learn the remainder of the facts.

I do not have time at home to reinforce the Add to Subtract method. Is it worth the time and financial commitment to continue with the second class of the program?

Yes. I do my best to attend to students' strengths and challenges individually. For every two-hour class your child attends he/she will be exposed to various ways to master the facts. Now that your child has been learning the Add to Subtract method for the past 9 weeks, he/she will be able to absorb the new facts at a faster pace. Students who were struggling at the end of a Facts to 9 class become more proficient with the math facts with each day of The Addition and Subtraction Facts 10-18 class.

Why shouldn't I let my child learn the remaining facts at school rather than take The Addition and Subtraction Facts 10-18 class?

Unfortunately, most schools put little emphasis on teaching students methods to master the basic math facts. They are depending on parents to teach the math facts. Most teachers and parents instruct kids to count if they do not know the answer. Children do not learn the math facts by counting. They only get the answers. They cannot establish a solid foundation in math by counting. There is not time to count as children progress from grade to grade. In addition to the time element, they need to have a solid conceptual understanding of the operations of adding and subtracting to progress to more complex math concepts.

Why should I continue having my child learn the Ways That Work method rather than let him/her go back to counting?

Most children learn to count by the time they are 5 years old. It is important for children to learn to count and understand the relationship between numbers and quantities. When kids begin learning the operations of addition and subtraction they must learn the concept of putting numbers together and taking them apart. If they continue to count they will be able to get the correct answer but all they will be doing is counting, something they probably learned to do when they were 4 or 5 years old. They will not be learning the concept of addition and subtraction. If you have seen your child start using his/her brain rather than his/her fingers to get the answers, stay with the Add to Subtract program. You will see that your child will be one of the few students in his/her class who is not counting and has truly mastered the facts.

Why should I enroll my child in The Addition & Subtraction Facts 10-18 class to complete the two-class addition and subtraction program?

At the end of The Facts to 9 class your child is less than half way through the addition and subtraction program. Many students do not fully comprehend how adding and subtracting are related until after they have been in The Facts 10-18 class for some time. Throughout The Facts 10-18 class I will continue to review the facts that we went over in The Facts to 9 class. As students progress through the two-class addition and subtraction program they will continue to get a clearer understanding of the relationship between adding and subtracting and learn the tools to become proficient with the operations of addition and subtraction.